NOTTINGHAM: Michael Clarke has defended trying his luck under the Decision Review System, which has taken on a life of its own in this Ashes contest, and promoted Ashton Agar in an attempt to manufacture a miracle at Trent Bridge.

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The system's application at Trent Bridge has also reinforced inconsistencies in the system.

Clarke was involved in a bizarre chain of events leading to his caught behind dismissal as Australia collapsed on the fourth evening of the match. Broad, of all people, launched the appeal and Clarke stood his ground. Dar asked his colleague Kumar Dharmasena whether the catch had carried to Matt Prior, who was celebrating with clenched fists. The TV umpire confirmed the catch had carried and Dar raised his finger, at which point Clarke asked for a review of the edge.

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Clarke explained he wasn't sure whether he'd hit the ball.

"Obviously not. I referred it. Well, I knew I had hit my pad. I asked my partner [Steve Smith] up the other end and he certainly wasn't convinced I hit it either so I referred it."

"Actually when we both looked at the big screen we couldn't see anything so we were pretty pumped that we made the right decision. Then I was given out and had another look when I came in the change room and there was a little spot there on Hot Spot. That's the way it goes. That's how the review system operates.

"I've said to our team that if you feel you're not out then back your judgment. And if the review doesn't go your way we move on."

Clarke's challenge left Australia without any reviews for the rest of the run chase.

He drew a line under the Broad incident.

"We would've liked him out for a lot less that's for sure, but that's the way the game goes. I'm not going to go back there. There's no need, it's the game of cricket. There's ups and downs, good times, bad times. Sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don't. That's what I've seen through my career and that's the way it goes."

The captain also refused to use to a succession of unfavourable DRS calls as an excuse for Australia's dire position in the match.

Shane Watson left the field cursing a leg before dismissal that was upheld by the TV umpire despite Hawkeye showing only a fraction of the ball hitting the stumps.

Chris Rogers was dismissed in similar circumstances in the first innings.

On Saturday, England launched a successful review that cost Phillip Hughes his wicket, lbw to Graeme Swann, because more than half the ball pitched in line with leg stump.

Asked if players were losing faith in the rules governing DRS, which give the benefit of the doubt to the umpire rather than the batsman, Clarke said: "We have no excuses at the moment. I'm certainly not going to use DRS as one."

Clarke's dismissal triggered a collapse of 3-3 in 18 balls and Australia lurched to 6-174 at stumps, 137 short of the victory target.

Australia pinned its hopes on Agar to repeat his fearless strokeplay of the first innings, moving him up to No.8.

"We would like to have a few more wickets in hand. I would like to be not out, that's for sure. But I'm still really confident that the way Ash [Ashton Agar] played in the first innings, if he can go out and play with the same freedom and confidence, with the experience of Brad Haddin and other batters that are left to come, I'm still confident that we have a chance to win this Test match."

The Australians are hoping his fearless exuberance will translate into another match-changing innings, and banking on the lower order of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, who scored 99 in India, to rise to the occasion.

Rarely has so much been asked of a teenager on debut, with bat and ball. The 19-year-old bowled 35 overs in the second innings and would have had three wickets if Broad had been given out.

"I don't think he [Agar] feels the pressure. He's that type of kid," Clarke said. "He is definitely not a No.11 in any team in the world. I batted him at 11 in the first innings only so that he could find his feet in Test match cricket and get into the game."